1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand guard for various types of firearms but, more particularly, to a hand guard adapted to be utilized in conjunction with the barrels of such rapid firing weapons as rifles, carbines, and the like. The purpose of the hand guard is to insulate the hand of the user of such firearms from the heat generated by their barrels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to those skilled in the art that rapid fire weapons utilized particularly in military operations are characterized by the heating of the barrels thereof to relatively high temperatures. At such temperatures, the barrels cannot be comfortably, and indeed, safely held by the soldier firing the same. Various expedients have been resorted to in the past in an attempt to insulate the hand of the person firing the weapon from harmful contact with the excessively hot barrel while still permitting adequate cooling of the barrel to such an extent as to prevent the rise in temperature of the barrel which might possibly cause malfunctioning of the firearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,150 to Stoner is representative of known hand guard constructions which utilize a housing encompassing a substantial length of the barrel of the firearm. Apertures are provided both along the bottom and along the top of the housing. The heat of the barrel creates convection currents within the interior of the housing which cause ambient air to be drawn in through the bottom apertures and then cause it to be discharged through the top apertures. Unfortunately, the heated air is discharged along the line of sight resulting in visual distortion and adversely affecting the ability of the user of the firearm to fire accurately.